smilingstone

The circumstances of your engagement were the same as mine. By the time my now-husband proposed, we already spoke countlessly about getting married. He didn't have a ring for me either, we didn't even think about it until a day or 2 before I was due to leave. Even when I had an engagement ring, we didn't include anything about it in our petition because an engagement doesn't require a ring, only a question and an answer between the couple.

Registering happens at POE. That is all that's needed for anyone entering the US with a valid visa. From whag I understand, the demand for registration is to those who weren't inspected at a border.

If it helps, I felt that prices went down Mon - Weds and increased as it got closer to the weekend. It may not save you much, but it's something.

Being unable to meet between filing and interview isn't a cause for suspicion. It isn't a pre-requisite for a K1 to have time and money to spare for international travel (although it helps...). You just need to evidence an ongoing relationship, best way to do this in your circumstances is via communication logs (maybe include parts where you have discussed your upcoming plans). Maybe take a few pics in the days before the interview and include them too, as you will be there. Embassies vary, but I wasn't even asked for my further evidence when I attended my interview. Depends on the strength of your case and how the CO feels, I presume.

Did you spend time together at your home, or did you book accommodation during the 6 months? The main evidence you are wanting to include here are any receipts showing you in the same place at the same time, also docs proving your fiancé travelled to the US (flight itinerary, boarding passes, ESTA/visa approval, etc). Although for my second trip, I stayed with my fiancé so we had no accommodation bookings, only my flights and boarding passes. Also, how long is your relationship (including the time before you met)? Another red flag may be short term relationship before meeting, they stay with you for 6 months and now you are petitioning for a visa. The beginning of this process is the most overwhelming part. You/your fiancé will experience the same when it comes to AOS, and I'm sure other steps beyond that. But once things start to come together, it starts to make sense. If it helps, here is the list of what was included in my original application: 1) Two Passport-Sized Photos (Petitioner, Beneficiary) 2) Form G-1145 for E-Notification of Application Acceptance (1 Page) 3) Application Fee of $535 via Cashier’s Check 4) Form I-129F, Petition for K-1 Fiancé(e) for Beneficiary (14 Pages) 5) Proof of Meeting Within the Last 2 Years: • Confirmation of Approved ESTA for Beneficiary (5 Pages) • Airline Tickets & Flight Itinerary [November 2023] (3 Pages) • Airbnb Reservation [November 2023] (1 Page) • Boarding Passes to and from the USA for Beneficiary [November 2023] (2 Pages) • Picture Together [November 2023] (1 Page) • Airline Tickets & Flight Itinerary [March 2024] (2 Pages) • Boarding Passes to the USA for Beneficiary [March 2024] (1 Page) 6) Proof of Relationship: • Communication Transcripts (10 Pages) 7) Fiancé Letter of Intent to Marry within 90 days, executed by Petitioner (1 Page) 8) Fiancée Letter of Intent to Marry within 90 days, executed by Beneficiary (1 Page) 9) Statement of Circumstances of Meeting (2 Pages) 10) Proof of United States Citizenship for Petitioner (2 Pages) 11) Passport Copy for Beneficiary (1 Page) 12) Form I-94, Travel History for Beneficiary (2 Pages) It may help you to organise your thoughts if you start by creating your own list, and gradually working through it. There are also many YouTube videos and other resources that can help with understanding questions. I am glad you are rethinking the agency. The money would be better spent elsewhere to contribute to this very long and expensive process...

Me and my husband aren't picture people either. It wasn't until after we filed and were gathering further evidence in advance of my interview, that we took more pictures. And even then, we only included two. As long as you have time spent physically together within the last 2 years and there are no red flags, then you should be fine. Good luck!

Word of warning, agencies can cause problems. Their interest is to keep you on their books so you keep paying. There are countless stories here of agencies misfiling paperwork, incorrect answers, not responding to RFEs, etc. Most people can complete this process without an agency or attorney, providing they can read carefully and follow instructions.

We only submitted one image of us together. Didn't explain anything in our packet. Photos are secondary evidence, and although great to include, approval doesn't hang on them. You need to focus on hard evidence of meeting, travel and communication. The only letter we provided was a 2 page document explaining how we met, the circumstances we first met in person and subsequent meetings, that we wanted to marry and start a life together in the US. We also included seperate letters of intent to marry, signed by us individually.

It just means that the approval is valid until the specified end date, but as @Edward and Jaycel said, it is common for COs to automatically extend this if your interview is scheduled for after this date.

Yes they can be filed concurrently, but we warned that the current processing times for AP are long. It may not be received in time if you already have travel planned.

Nerves are normal at this stage now, as everything will quickly ramp up after sitting waiting for approval. In my case, there was 26 days for NVC to receive my petition, and then a further month for it to reach London. Once you have confirmation that it's at London, you will receive an LND case number. When you have that, you can look into booking your medical. For me, I called Visa Medicals in early November and they gave me an appointment on the 19th (they had sooner). When that was booked, I kept checking the interview booker on https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-gb/iv. I booked my interview for 1 week after my medical. You can book them whenever you have the time/money to do-so. They seem to release slots in 3/4 week chunks. A word of warning: I had trouble getting the documents required for my medical. My GP practice didn't understand what I needed, kept sending me the wrong thing, not enough info, etc. People say you can access it all on the NHS app - this is only true if your GP surgery has already granted you access. It took me around a month to get what I needed from them, with a lot of pushy phone calls right up until days I was due to travel to London. Start working on this ASAP to avoid headaches. Also, if you know of any vaccination boosters you will need, ask your GP what they can offer. I got a few through mine, so it was free. In the end I only had to pay for Heb B, Covid and Flu (although chance is Flu may not be applicable to you due to time of year). Good luck!

Update for me: Filed AOS and EAD on 04/07/2025 NOA1 for both on 04/16/2025 Biometrics appointment letter uploaded to myUSCIS on 04/18/2025, scheduled for 05/09/2025 myProgress estimates AOS decision in 21 months and EAD decision in 2 months. 🤞

Sounds perfect, thank you! I also used my married name on my AOS but wondered if previous name on my SS card would be an issue. Thank you!

Hi all, Found out today that my biometrics have been scheduled for 9th May, so much sooner than I had expected! The letter says as follows: My UK passport has my maiden name, so I am assuming it would be a good idea to take our marriage certificate. Would that be enough? If not, I could also get a credit card statement printed showing me as an authorised user with my married name. Unfortunately I'm yet to schedule an appointment with SSA to get my SSN name updated, otherwise would take that, and I don't think just over 2 weeks would be enough time to send off for and receive an updated SS card. Thanks

Ah, that sounds more promising than what I've been reading! Is there any way to get confirmation of this from them without roping myself into giving them all my current details? I'm just scared to put more financial pressure on our single income household before I'm able to work. 😔